A transformative look at a popular instrument and a hidden chapter of American history.

Joe Gioia was born in Rochester, New York, and is a graduate of Kenyon College. Formerly senior editor at Modern Photography and a contributing editor at American Photo, he was an early contributor to Salon.com and is the author of Divide's Guide to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He lives in Chicago, where he is at work on a narrative history of photography.